


And the Awakened Sentinel

by Zephiera



Series: Librarian ... Sentinel [1]
Category: The Librarians (TV 2014), The Sentinel
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 21:08:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7284847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephiera/pseuds/Zephiera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jake suddenly comes online as a full-blown Sentinel, the Library sends an Envelope to the only living expert and Guide.  Blair Sandburg is more than ready to move on after losing best friend/Sentinel, home, and academic career in one fell swoop.  When he receives a mysterious job offer shortly after committing academic suicide, he figures he has nothing to lose by checking it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU for The Librarians after the end of Season 2. Goes AU for The Sentinel about two-thirds of the way through the final episode, before the reconciliation between Blair and Jim and the offer for Blair to become a cop.
> 
> Updates should occur about every two weeks as I'll be alternating between this and another story.
> 
> Standard disclaimers apply.

“Oh, this _is_ fascinating,” Jenkins’ drawled slowly as he stared at Jake. “I haven’t seen a true example of this phenomenon in years.”

“This phenomenon being…?” Ezekiel asked, with a ‘continue please’ hand motion.

“Mr. Stone appears to be exhibiting the classic markers of a Sentinel. Sentinels were first brought to the attention of the modern world by Sir Richard Burton; the explorer who translated _The Arabian Nights_ , not the actor married to Elizabeth Taylor.”

“And a Sentinel is?” Asked Eve when Jenkins trailed off again to simply stare at Jake.

“My apologies. A Sentinel is simply an individual with heightened senses. In the case of a full Sentinel, as it appears to be with Mr. Stone, this means all five - sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. It is also believed that some full Sentinels are Alpha Sentinels who have that mystical awareness known colloquially as the Sixth Sense.” He took a breath before continuing. “But I must admit that I am not aware of any artifact that would cause this effect in Mr. Stone. It’s usually hereditary, although these days the gene _is_ fairly recessive. Still…”

“Family myth,” Jake croaked, still curled into a ball. 

“Oh, well, yes, that would certainly make it far more understandable. Although, there is still the question of why now to consider. I mean, it’s usually….”

“Jenkins,” Eve cut in, “how about we worry about the why later, and focus on the ‘how we fix it’ now.”

“Ah, well, Colonel, as to that, we don’t exactly ‘fix it’… at least, not in the way I suspect you mean. But” he held up a hand to forestall her next comment, “I do believe the Library is already on the problem.”

“Guide?” Jake’s whisper was barely audible, but Jenkins caught it.

“Yes, Mr. Stone, I believe that the Library has indeed sent for a Guide.” He touched Jake’s shoulder gently, then smiled up at the others. “You see, whenever the Library sends an Envelope, a copy is created and filed, and a notification is triggered so everyone knows to expect someone new. This morning, such a notification came across my desk. And in light of Mr. Stone’s unexpected condition, the conclusion is inescapable. The Library has sent for a Guide.”

“So what’s a Guide, and why does Jake need one?” Cassandra asked quietly.

“And what do we know about this person the Library has sent for?” Ezekiel chimed in.

“A Guide, Ms. Killian,” Jenkins said soberly, “is the other half of the Sentinel equation. The Guide helps the Sentinel develop and control the senses, grounds him or her when using them, etc. While partial Sentinels can usually function without one, a full Sentinel _always_ requires a Guide.”

“And without one?” Cassandra’s question was the faintest whisper, as though she’d already worked out the answer.

Jenkins sighed. “Those unfortunate enough to not find theirs, or who, for whatever reason, lose them, end up insane, catatonic… or dead. So, we are very fortunate that the Library has already taken action in Mr. Stone’s case.”

“And again, I ask, what do we know about the person in question?” Ezekiel said.

“Ah, as to that, I did take a moment this morning after seeing the notification, although at the time I didn’t realize exactly why the Envelope had been sent. I really should have though, given what I learned….”

“Well?” Eve prompted.

“Right, yes, well, while I realize you are all concerned for Mr. Stone’s welfare, I would really rather wait until our Guide arrives, and let him….”

“Jenkins… What. Do. We. Know….?”

“Very well, Colonel. The Guide’s name is….”


	2. Chapter 2

“You have been selected for a prestigious position…”

Blair Sandburg stared at the single piece of paper in shock, then looked again at the plain white envelope with nothing on it but his name. He had been sitting on the couch trying to get up the courage to walk out of the loft for the last time when it had suddenly appeared as though someone had slid it under the door. And yet, when he looked out, there was no one there.

It had been almost two weeks since the dissertation fiasco. Since he’d thrown himself on his sword for Jim’s sake. Since Naomi had fled the poisonous atmosphere she herself had created. And still the other man wasn’t talking to him beyond the absolute minimum required between two people who shared space. So Blair had decided he was done. Most of his stuff was still packed anyway from the Alex mess, so it was a simple matter to stick it into a storage facility until he could decide where he was going to settle next. _Settle,_ he’d thought wryly as he’d finished moving everything yesterday morning, _there’s your problem Blair. Sandburgs don’t_ settle _and you forgot that one simple rule._

And now this mysterious letter with its crazy glowing text appeared out of nowhere, offering him a job in Oregon with an Annex location of the New York Metropolitan Public Library of all places. _Gotta be a mistake,_ he thought. _But at least Oregon isn’t too far a drive and if nothing else it’ll give me a starting destination._ With that, Blair realized he’d made up his mind to go. _Well, no time like the present I suppose._ Standing he tucked the letter into his backpack which had been sitting on the floor next to him and swung the backpack onto his shoulder, propped the short ‘goodbye’ note he’d already written for Jim on the kitchen table with the loft key and his observer’s badge next to it, took a quick last look around, and walked out the door. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Wait, so this guy’s a confessed fraud, but we’re supposed to trust him?” Ezekiel scoffed after Jenkins had finished his rundown on the expected Guide.

Jenkins arched one eyebrow. “Yes, Mr. Jones… and might I point out the irony of you of all people questioning someone else’s trustworthiness? I will also point out that under the circumstances that confession of fraud is itself questionable. After all, given Mr. Stone’s situation, it is quite possible that Mr. Sandburg’s paper was in fact the truth and his denouncement of it merely an attempt at remedying a situation that had clearly gotten beyond his control. Which would therefore make him the victim, or at least one of the victims, rather than the perpetrator.”

Ezekiel blinked. “Okay, fair point. So we give him the benefit of the doubt. Assuming, that is, that he actually shows up. After all, Jake and I ignored our letters the first time around… how do we know this guy won’t do the same thing?”

A sigh. “We don’t. We can only have faith, Mr. Jones. And this is not quite the same situation as when you and Mr. Stone received your original letters. No offense intended of course, but at the time, after all, you were merely two out of hundreds…. Mr. Sandburg on the other hand is, to my knowledge, unique.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A really short bit, but it might be another week or so before I get a chance to update this again, and I wanted to at least get us to this point...

Blair pulled the Volvo up behind a Land Rover, and sat for a moment before turning off the car. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out and just stared at the building. The fact that this place was so far off the beaten track should have made him more nervous than it did, but between growing up with Naomi and his own anthropology career he’d certainly spent time in even more isolated locations. 

_Of course, under the circumstances, isolated is probably not a bad thing,_ he thought with a sigh. _Alright Blair, enough stalling. Time to get this over with…._ Taking another deep breath, he forced himself to move forward until he stood in front of the fairly imposing doors. Before he could give into the temptation to turn back around and leave, he reached out to the old fashioned bell pull and tugged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long gap between chapters. But here's a slightly longer one to make up for it. I do have at least a couple more written, I just have to proof them and decide if the latest season is going to impact anything before posting them.
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone who has commented. The encouragement is definitely appreciated!

“Ok, so I found…” Cassandra cut off as the doorbell echoed in the main room. “Oh! Maybe that’s _him_. Jenkins…”

“Yes, Ms. Cillian, I did hear the bell,” the archivist said dryly as he headed down the hall, sparing a glare at Ezekiel who shrugged in acknowledgement that he’d learned his lesson after the dragon fiasco. 

Reaching the door, Jenkins paused to take a deep breath. Though he’d never admit it, he was more than a bit concerned about Stone. Not that he didn’t have perfect confidence in the Library, but if this didn’t work… well, one just had to have faith that it would. Another breath, then he pulled the door open to smile at the young man standing there.  
“Mr. Sandburg, I presume?”

Blair blinked. “Yes. But…”

“All in good time, young sir, all in good time. For now, let me be the first to say, welcome to the Library.” With another gentle smile he gestured for Blair to follow him, then led him back to the main room where the others waited.

Following the older man into the large room, Blair found himself the center of attention. Although there were only three other people there, the intensity of their focus made him feel like he’d just stepped in front of a full lecture hall back at Rainier. Instantly he slapped on his fundraiser smile, squared his shoulders, and waited to be introduced.

Jenkins cleared his throat. “Mr. Sandburg, allow me to introduce the majority of our little team. Cassandra Cillian and Ezekiel Jones are two of our four Librarians,” he said, motioning to each in turn, “and Colonel Eve Baird keeps us all safe. Ladies, Mr. Jones, this is Mr. Blair Sandburg.”

Blair found his smile becoming more genuine as he made eye contact with the redhead who gave him a bouncy little wave. But the other two seemed far more serious, and what did a library need with a military representative anyway? Still, he was here by invitation, so… “Hey, nice to meet all of you. Although,” he turned back to the older man, “I don’t believe I caught your name…?”

“Of course, how rude of me. I am Jenkins, the…. Caretaker… if you will. And you, young sir, are the Guide.”

Blair felt the blood drain from his face as his smile froze. “Umm, I’m not sure….”

“Oh please,” Cassandra interrupted earnestly, “I know we’re not even giving you a chance to settle in but, you _have_ to help Jake.” 

Blair blinked, then looked from the intense redhead to Jenkins who coughed. “Yes, well, Ms. Cillian has indeed cut right to the heart of the matter. We do understand your reticence Mr. Sandburg, however, I assure you that you will find no judgements here. To the contrary, we find ourselves in need of your particular expertise as it appears that one of our number has suddenly come online as a full Sentinel.”

Blair stared at him, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes again, but before he could say anything a flash of movement made him turn his head to meet a pair of deep blue eyes that even from across the room he could see were filled with pain. 

“Jake!” Cassandra’s cry made the man flinch, and lean more heavily on the wall as he struggled to stay upright. 

“Damnit!” Blair was in motion before he even consciously thought about it, tucking himself under the other man’s arm for support. “It’s okay,” he whispered, “I’ve got you.”

“Guide,” Jake whispered back, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.

Blair barely managed to keep from dropping the suddenly dead weight, then Jenkins and the Colonel were there to help move his burden onto a cot where he’d clearly been resting. Keeping his voice low, and one hand still in contact with the other man, he glared at Jenkins and Eve. “Okay, talk.”

“Jenkins?” Eve bounced the responsibility for the explanation to the expert.

“Yes, yes, very well. Mr. Sandburg, you were invited to join our little group because the Library believes that _you_ are the correct Guide for Mr. Stone here.”

“The _Library_ believes.” Blair repeated flatly. 

“I _know_ ,” Eve took over, “that was my initial reaction too. But the short version is that magic is real, and _we_ are responsible for making sure that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Blair swallowed his first instinctive reaction, and took a breath but before he could respond, his eyes widened at the unmistakable sight of his wolf padding into the room. A second later it was joined by a blue-eyed lynx. A faint gasp from his companions proved that they weren’t visible only to him. 

“One of those is yours, I presume?” Jenkins asked calmly. “The wolf, if I know my spirit animals, and I assure you, I do.”

“Yeah, he’s mine,” Blair managed, trying not to swear or scream. 

“So, then the lynx for Mr. Stone. Appropriate.” 

Eve looked at him and arched an eyebrow.

“Later, Colonel. For now, I believe our Guide would probably prefer to be alone with his Sentinel.”

“Okay, look,” Blair hissed as he stood, shooting a glare at the two animals, “I’ll get your friend back on his feet but that’s all I’m promising. Magic Library aside, the Sentinel/Guide connection isn’t that simple. Your Mr. Stone may not...,” he swallowed, then continued, “may not want a stranger for a Guide once he’s stabilized. There may be someone better suited to him that he already knows,” he concluded with a glance back towards the other room. 

Eve opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent when Jenkins touched her shoulder. He held Blair’s eyes for a moment, then gave the young man a surprisingly gentle smile. “I assure you Mr. Sandburg, the Library does not make mistakes. It only sends letters to people who belong here.” With that, he and Eve left the room, shutting the glass door behind them.

Blair stared after them for a moment, then a shudder from the man on the cot drew his attention back to the new Sentinel. Without thinking he leaned in, murmuring, “Shh, Jake, it’s okay, I’m here.” He carefully reached out a hand and set it on the man’s head, stroking gently. “Everything is fine, I’m here.” He heard a quiet purr, and turned to see his wolf curled around the lynx, gently licking its head. “Traitor,” he said mildly, smiling at the wolf’s responding snort of derision. 

Blair continued to stroke Jake’s head, still murmuring softly. “Okay, Jake, I know you can hear me. Let’s start working on getting your senses under control.” Keeping constant contact with the Sentinel, Blair began running through the basics of the dial method, hoping that it would at least sink in subconsciously while Jake slept. Eventually however, the warmth of the room, combined with the exhaustion from the drive and the soporific purring of the lynx took its toll and Blair drifted into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I know it's been forever, but I promise this isn't abandoned. In fact, I'm giving you two chapters this time.

“What the hell?!”

Blair opened his eyes and groaned as he took in the blue jungle around him. A glance to the side showed him a puzzled Sentinel, whose exclamation is what ‘woke’ him. “Relax, Jake,” he said dryly. “This is just part of the Sentinel gig.”

“But…”

“Trust in your Guide, Sentinel.” 

“Incacha!” Blair spun to stare at the Chopec Shaman. 

“Well met, young one, although I am sorry it is under such circumstances.”

Darting a sidelong glance at Jake who was remaining quiet, Blair sighed. “I’m sorry. I know I failed…”

“No.” Incacha held up a hand, cutting him off. “You did not fail, young one. If anything, it is I who failed. I did not ensure that Enqueri understood the importance of the bond between Sentinel and Guide. Nor did I provide you with the support you required. No,” he said again, smiling gently, “your only fault was inexperience. It is I who must apologize for failing you both. But you and I been given another chance.” He turned to Jake who was quietly observing, a slight frown on his handsome face. “You are most welcome here, Sentinel. I am Incacha, Shaman of the Chopec.” 

“Jacob Stone,” Jake responded reflexively. “Ummm, no offense, but why are we here...? And, where _is_ here exactly?”

“No offense taken, young Sentinel. This,” he waved a hand to encompass their environment, “is where we can speak together. Where I can assist you and your Guide as you learn to be two sides of the same whole.”

“Incacha…” Blair chided gently. 

Jake realized that there was an underlying issue that he was missing, even as he registered a deep hurt that called to him. A call he couldn’t ignore. Without thinking about it, he shifted so he could place a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Look, it’s obvious there’s a background here I know nothing about, but as far as I’m concerned it don’t matter. Jenkin’s was right, ya know. The Library doesn’t invite in anyone that doesn’t belong, and it invited you so that’s good enough for me. The rest we’ll figure out as we go.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, a second chapter. Mostly just a bit of background exposition for Sentinel fans who aren't that familiar with The Librarians.

Jake was still asleep, but this time not so restless, so Blair figured it was a safe time to go out and face the waiting audience. He knew Jake's friends would be worried despite Jenkins' reassurances, so it would be best to address their concerns himself.

Stepping into the main room, however, he found only the Caretaker. 

"Ah, Mr. Sandburg. The others are out on an assignment. I admit they were loath to leave their colleague behind, however it really wasn't a case that could wait."

"Blair, please. And sorry, assignment? Case? I thought you... _they_ were librarians?"

"Silly Guide," the tone was warm, almost affectionate. "These are not your run of the mill librarians, as in people who work in a library helping idiots find books. These are Librarians" the capitol L came through clearly, "people who wander the world tracing wild magic and returning artifacts here for safekeeping. And now, you are a part of that team. Oh, I know," he held up a hand as Blair opened his mouth to reply. "You don't think you belong here, don't believe you'll stay, but trust me. As I said before, the Library does not make mistakes and it sent you that Envelope for a reason. And believe me, Ray can be very stubborn about keeping the people he likes."

"Ray?"

"Ah, yes, forgive me. A while back we had an ... incident... where the spirit, or soul if you will, of the Library got anthropomorphized. Made human. He called himself Ray, or well, I suppose that's the name Mr. Carson gave him. But anyway, we do have a tendency now to call him that when we're speaking in the personal sense rather than the global."

"And Mr. Carson is?"

"The senior Librarian. Unlike the others, Flynn Carson has been Librarian for well over ten years now. In fact, up until just over a year ago he was _the_ Librarian. We'd never had more than one at time. But then things got complicated..."

"Short version?"

"Very well. A misguided individual felt that magic should be returned to the world unfettered and unrestrained, but of course, under his control. Only days after the Library recruited Colonel Baird to be our new Guardian, Mr. Carson discovered that this individual had been arranging the deaths of all known prospective Librarians. So Mr. Carson and the Colonel went out to try to save the last three: Mr. Stone, Ms. Cillian, and Mr. Jones. Not long after they were brought to the main Library location in New York City, the enemy found a way to attack the Library directly. He tried to take it over, resulting in it being cut loose from its anchor to the physical plane. All that remained was where we stand now. An Annex office. _My_ Annex office. Mr. Carson and the others found their way here, Mr. Carson decided that it was foolish to only have one Librarian at a time when so much more could be accomplished with several, and so he took off to try to find a way to restore the Library leaving the other three and the Colonel here under my tutelage. They have actually come quite a long way, if I do say so myself. Obviously, the Library has also been restored although the anchor is now here instead of NYC. Which quite frankly makes much more sense since it is far easier to keep things hidden in nowheresville Oregon." Jenkins paused, then smiled at the slightly stunned look on Blair's face. "There is, of course, quite a bit more covering the past year, but I believe that is enough for now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And one more, just because...

Ezekiel, Cassandra and Eve tumbled into the room through the back door. They found Jenkins sitting with his usual cup of tea as he poured over one of the artifacts Flynn had brought back a while ago. 

"I see everyone made it back. I trust all went well?"

"Yeah, it was fine. Easy in fact. Almost too easy... You don’t think the Library just wanted us out of the way, do you?"

"Really, Mr. Jones," Jenkins smiled as he stood to take the icon they had retrieved from Cassandra "do you really believe Ray would do that?"

"Yep," the thief replied. "If it meant helping Jake, he absolutely would."

"You are quite right, of course. However, I assure you that in this instance we really did need this artifact retrieved before it fell into the wrong hands."

"So, what exactly is it? I mean, besides a mini-statue?"

"This Thunderbird icon has the power to draw tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis and other severe storms at will. In the wrong hands, it could cause significant devastation. So it was best that it was retrieved before those hands found it. Imagine if you will, a category 10 hurricane combined with a tsunami hitting any of the coasts in the US, or for that matter, any coastal area around the world. 

"Oh!" Cassandra paled. "Oh, that would not be good at all. It would be like the storm Prospero tried to call, but much, much worse. "

"Exactly, Ms. Cillian," Jenkins said with approval. "Exactly."

"So, umm, how is Jake?" She asked softly.

"Mr. Stone is resting quietly."

"And ... And the new guy?" Ezekiel asked

"Mr. Sandburg is with Mr. Stone of course, although he did come out for a little bit earlier. However, you will find that they do need to spend a certain amount of time together as the bond settles. But eventually it will be less ...hmmm… insular and they will be more open to other company.”

"Right. So exactly what sort of _bond_ are we talking here?" The ever-suspicious thief asked.

"That, Mr. Jones, depends entirely on the men in question." Jenkins replied calmly. "If you are asking if they will end up in a romantic relationship, then I can neither confirm nor deny. It is not out of the realm of possibility but to my knowledge it is not a certainty either."

"Okay," Eve said, finally entering the conversation. "So, what about the people that this Guide was working with before? Are they likely to come looking for him?"

"No." The answer did not come from Jenkins, and they all spun to see Blair standing in the doorway. There was no expression on his face, and his eyes were shuttered. "No one is going to come looking for me." A wry grin that did not reach his eyes. "Not even my mom, given the way things ended when I saw her last. So, no, there is no one you need to worry about stumbling into whatever is going on here."

"You should be resting, Mr. Sandburg," Jenkins' voice and expression were as gentle as any of the others had ever seen him. "You are still recovering."

"Thanks, but I’m fine. Trust me, this is just a bit of exhaustion. Nothing worse than I’ve had to handle during ... during exam cycles when I was teaching."

"Yes, but..."

"Seriously, I'll be okay. I can only sleep so much - or rather, I don’t need to sleep much. If I do, I might not wake up" the last was muttered under his breath. 

Eve stepped forward. "Mr. Sandburg, Blair, you really don't look like you should be on your feet. I understand not wanting to sleep, but perhaps you should at least sit. I’m sure Jenkins would be delighted to get you a cup of tea and something to nibble." The last was a not a question and Jenkins nodded in acknowledgment of the order.

"Of course. Please, come and sit. I will only be a moment."

"Well," Blair glanced over his shoulder then faced them again and nodded. "Right, interrogation time. I get it. Might as well get it over with now,"

"What?" Eve looked truly shocked. "No, that is not what I meant…"

"Hey, it’s fine,” Blair interrupted her protestations. “It’s only natural that you would all be concerned about trusting your friend to a stranger's care. Just, I reserve the right to politely refuse any question that I find too personal, okay?"

"Okay." Ezekiel agreed, clapping his hands and taking a seat at the table. "Glad we understand each other, mate." He paused but no one else said anything although Cassandra was fluttering nervously nearby. “Right, so, if no one else is going to ask, I will…”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who comments - you keep reminding me to come back to this, and definitely brighten my days!

Jake woke slowly. The last few days were fuzzy and strange, almost as though they had happened to someone else. But he distinctly remembered a younger man with long curly brown hair and intense blue eyes... And, weirdly enough, a wolf with the same eyes. And both with equally haunted expressions buried in those eyes. Then there was the hallucination of the blue jungle, with the man, the wolf, a lynx that seemed to somehow be Jake himself, and the spirit of a dead South American shaman. 

"Gods," he muttered, "what the heck was I hit with?"

"Ah, Mr. Stone. You are awake at last."

Jake turned his head to see Jenkins sitting nearby. "Yeah. At least, I think I'm awake. Unless I’m still hallucinating or dreaming..."

"No, indeed. This is quite real, I promise you. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"Not sure. We took care of Prospero, got Flynn and Eve back... Me and Zeke went off on a mission without Cassie. A mission to... to..." he closed his eyes, trying to remember. "Somewhere in Asia, I think. Somewhere with a jungle." He paused again. "We got separated, and I was trapped for a bit... Zeke got me out, finally, but..." A breath. "By the time we got back to the Library it was like I was going crazy. All my ... Oh damn. All my senses were going haywire." He stared at Jenkins for a long moment. "It wasn’t a dream was it? I really did come online, didn’t I?"

"You did indeed, Mr. Stone. It was quite startling, and I admit a bit fascinating. It has been a good century since I have seen a Sentinel."

"And... and the kid? The one with the wolf? He wasn’t a dream either, was he?"

"No, Mr. Sandburg is quite real, I assure you. He should, in fact, be returning any moment now. I sent him to freshen up a bit with the promise that I would sit with you during his absence."

"He ... he is a Guide, isn’t he?"

"He is. _Your_ Guide if the Library is to be believed."

"But..."

"Hey man, it’s cool."

Both Jenkins and Jake turned to see Blair in the doorway. 

"I totally get not wanting some stranger as a Guide. Don’t worry. I should be able to get you centered and then..." he paused, visibly swallowed. "Then I can take myself right off, find somewhere else to be."

"What?" Jake tried to make sense of what the younger man just said but it simply didn't compute. He abstractedly noticed Jenkins was not saying anything, was simply watching them both. "Sorry, what do you mean, you’ll just leave. I thought...?" He distinctly remembered in the jungle dream that he had already had this argument. He shook himself and sat up. "I thought we already settled this? Didn’t we? I mean, I get that it was some sort of dream, but..."

"I..." Blair hesitated again. "I just... it seemed like... Jenkins said... and then you..."

"No, no. I know I’m a bit fuzzy right now... But that was not what I meant. I wasn’t going to question the idea of you being my Guide... I just, I was worried that it was considered a done deal without our really getting a chance to talk. To make sure it was what _you_ wanted..."

"I believe it would be best if I left you two gentlemen to discuss matters," Jenkins said diplomatically as he stood and crossed the room. As he passed, he gently touched Blair's shoulder. "I told you, it will be okay."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just a teeny tiny bit to wrap this up. Definitely not "the end" though, since as you can see, I've added a series name. It might be a while before the next installment, although I'll try to at least post the opening chapter fairly soon. Thanks again for all the comments and kudos!

"Look,” Blair began, “before ... before anyone gets too invested here, you should probably know...."

"Nope.” Jake interrupted. “Don’t care. I know we had this conversation already, but I guess I need to say it again.... The Library doesn’t make mistakes. It wouldn’t have sent you an Envelope if you weren’t meant to be here. Period. I trust Ray, which means I trust you."

"But, you don’t even...."

"Don’t need to. I already know the important bits." He took a breath. "Look, I know this is hard to have faith in. I mean, I get that it’s a lot easier for me because I’m already used to this sort of craziness. You’re coming in cold. But obviously your spirit Shaman buddy and your wolf believe you belong here too. So maybe if you can’t trust in me or the Library, you can at least trust in them?"

Blair sighed. "Yeah, okay, I guess I can do that...”

“Good” Jake said, flashing a wry grin. “Ya know, technically we haven’t actually met yet. Not outside of the dream world anyway. Jake Stone…” a breath, and then “your Sentinel.”

Blair blinked up at him. Then, as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, he held out a hand. “Blair Sandburg,” he said calmly as Jake took it, “your Guide.” And with that, his wolf and Jake’s lynx leapt into each other with a flash of light in the space between the two men.


End file.
